Spied! 2011 Chevrolet Aveo Wants to Play on the 'Ring Too

As if one needed any more confirmation that the Nurburgring has become the ultimate place to test, well, virtually any kind of new car, our savvy spy shooters have snapped the 2011 Chevy Aveo running the Green Hell. A sports car the Aveo certainly is not, but with a wide variety of turns, elevation changes and pavement surfaces, the Nurburgring is the perfect location to get a new chassis and suspension dialed in -- even if the car will be relegated primarily to daily commuting.

Said to be based on GM's updated Gamma II small car platform, the new Aveo's underpinnings will reportedly be shared with the next Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, among others. Engine options are not yet finalized, but expect a smattering of small-capacity diesel and gasoline four-cylinder mills, with GM's new 1.4L engine a strong possibility as the main powerplant for the U.S. market car.

We're told that the interior of the new Aveo will receive special attention. It appears from the spy photo that a few extra vents are visible over the current version, and the center stack protrudes a bit more from the dash while being a bit longer to boot. The general dash shape stays largely the same. It also is worth noting that early test mule pictures are hardly a definitive look at a production interior.

Underneath the substantial camouflage this test mule wears, we can clearly see dual-beam headlight pods, while the front grille appears to have the same deep chin as the current car. Toward the back, a subtle, concealed roof spoiler may be present, and it's a fairly safe bet that this Aveo prototype is of the hatchback variety (the car will more than likely continue to be offered in both sedan and hatch flavors), rather than wearing a mocked-up hatch as we've seen on plenty of camoed cars in the past.

We'll have more details on the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Aveo as they become available, so be sure to stay tuned to Motor Trend Online for more details.